51 replies to this topic

[jaws_dentist]

who's gonna play jaws ?

[RazorBlade]

Was there a Jaws in the novels? I haven't gotten around to them yet.

Rereading this thread I'm slowing being converted to adapting the novels. This could be cool.

Gala, how do you think an Arab Drax would go over in the ME? Like a Led Zeppelin I expect.

[*Gala*]

That depends upon which Middle Eastern country... I mean, think about how Montenegro received Casino Royale. They're perfectly happy and see it as an opportunity for a tourism boom. Croatia, on the other hand, fears that they'll be next since Bosnia was mentioned in TWINE and now Montenegro in CR. They supposedly "don't want the reputation of a mafia-laden country" or something. Alas, looks like former Yugoslavian countries see it very differently.

The same would happen in the Middle East. Dubai would jump for joy, publish news articles, and probably create a "Bond weekend package" at both the Ritz and Burj Al Arab alike in an attempt to get more tourists. More Casinos open, and everything. If you browse through the news here and editorials and all, many are under the impression that what Dubai really needs is "One Big Bad Guy" as a mascot or something... it's so true, there are soooo many "cliques of crime" as I like to call them and having a big baddie would probably help out a whole load of "underground" things here. So I think that an Arab Drax would be good for Dubai in general.

But for the Middle East as a whole? Shall bet here and now that in at least five Middle Eastern countries the movie shall be banned. However, shall also bet that three others will WANT to have the next Bond movie in their country after Moonraker was in the UAE. Very controversial this place is!

[LadySylvia]

I don't want a remake of MOONRAKER. I don't think that I need to see a remake of MOONRAKER.

[*Gala*]

There is Moonraker and there is Moonraker... we're talking about the former.

The novel, not the movie. Or at least I very much hope we are!

[dodge]

There is Moonraker and there is Moonraker... we're talking about the former.

The novel, not the movie. Or at least I very much hope we are!

And I'm all for the former--which was never filmed.

[00Twelve]

There is Moonraker and there is Moonraker... we're talking about the former.

The novel, not the movie. Or at least I very much hope we are!

And I'm all for the former--which was never filmed.

[Cody]

I say nevermind the book, remake the movie version. Daniel Craig needs to go to space. His career is lacking in space lazer fights.

I would like to see a faithful adaptation of the novel some day, though I agree with earlier posts that doing it now would be slightly shaky ground because we did get essentially adaptations of Moonraker (quite loose adaptations, though closer to the source than the MR film) in '95 and '02.

[mttvolcano]

Yeah i think the plot itself would make a good screen play to follow the lines of the books.

[*Gala*]

Glad to hear we're mostly talking about the former... Always knew I could count on you for good tastes, dodge and 00Twelve! I just want to see Gala Brand in the films before I have to meddle in (well, that would be just a very unlikely fangirl dream but oh well...). The whole space thing in the films was a bit cheesy if you ask me, and Holly's yellow suit reminded me too much of spandex from comic books!

[TheREAL008]

Plus, we're forgetting that the ICBN's can be replaced with some kind of new missile that's energized by hydrogen atomic energy. Or something to that nature. The threat would still be England and if done correctly Moonraker could endow the national pride of the british moviegoing public.

Daniel Craig saves England from a mad "Arab" Drax, and forever silencing all the naysayers for good.

[LadySylvia]

One thing I have never understood about the novel, "MOONRAKER" . . . why was Bond given that particular assignment and not an MI-5 agent?

[RazorBlade]

One thing I have never understood about the novel, "MOONRAKER" . . . why was Bond given that particular assignment and not an MI-5 agent?

Doh!

Or maybe it was because a foreign power was involved. I'm really gonna have to read that book.

[00Twelve]

MI5 had first "pick," so to speak, but since it was MI6 who did the (failed) background checks on all of Drax' Germans before they came over, MI5 told MI6 to take it. Thus, M gave it to Bond. MI5 just didn't want it. Hope that helps, LadySylvia.

I'm actually reading this right now...the hard thing to think about when considering adapting MR is what to make the enemy's ideology. Nazism was only defeated for 10 years back then; nobody takes a Nazi threat seriously today (right?). The only threat taken seriously today is (predominantly) radical Islamic terrorism (And that not enough by everyone, but that's another issue).

Men with buzzed hair and differently styled moustaches was eerie then...there'd need to be that kind of eerie idiosynchrasy for today's time. I wonder if an interesting story would include brainwashed Europeans & Americans behind the terrorism (just so it's not obvious because of ethnicities, and because this has already happened occasionally). Interesting, eerie stuff to brainstorm about.

[Leiter]

I could see Capt. Englehorn of King Kong (2005) in the role as Drax.

[Single-O-Seven]

I think the nuclear rocket angle could still be used. Nowadays there's much military interest in developing missiles with the ability to intercept incoming enemy rockets, obliterating them in flight before they reach their intended targets. Perhaps our Drax character could claim to have built just such an intercepting missile, and a test of it is planned. However, instead of launching it to intercept and destroy another missile during this test, Drax has topped it with a nuclear warhead, and set it on a path for London, or wherever the filmmakers feel would be a suitable target. Thus, much of the original novel could be maintained, though suitably updated.

[Blabbermouth]

I think the nuclear rocket angle could still be used. Nowadays there's much military interest in developing missiles with the ability to intercept incoming enemy rockets, obliterating them in flight before they reach their intended targets. Perhaps our Drax character could claim to have built just such an intercepting missile, and a test of it is planned. However, instead of launching it to intercept and destroy another missile during this test, Drax has topped it with a nuclear warhead, and set it on a path for London, or wherever the filmmakers feel would be a suitable target. Thus, much of the original novel could be maintained, though suitably updated.

It could easily be adapted and there are many great moments in the novel; bridge game with Drax at Blades, car-chase, blowtorch torture and just plainly the characters of Hugo Drax, Willy Krebs and Gala Brand.

[Zorin Industries]

Hasn't MOONRAKER been filmed already? Regardless of whether or not elements in the book haven't been put on screen, I think it would be the first nail in the coffin of Bond if they started down the remake road.

Bond wouldn't work in the remake genre - not within the Eon ownership.

[Blabbermouth]

Hasn't MOONRAKER been filmed already?

Not the way it should have been done, no!

I know that we disagree on this issue, and my posts for Live and Let Die as Bond 22 and Diamonds are Forever as Bond 24. I do agree with you that this is not the way that Eon will go, I just wish they would.

[Zorin Industries]

Hasn't MOONRAKER been filmed already?

Not the way it should have been done, no!

"Should have been done"...? Isn't that up to the Broccolis - who paid money for the rights to the books and are sort of allowed to do exactly what they want with them. Us fans can debate it by all means, but let's leave the film-makers and their choices to the job in hand.

I'm also not so certain that space and satellites are exactly the way forward for Bond - in light of Brosnan's latter excesses and Eon's decision to leave that 1970's world-view behind.

[LadySylvia]

One thing I have never understood about the novel, "MOONRAKER" . . . why was Bond given that particular assignment and not an MI-5 agent?

Doh!

Or maybe it was because a foreign power was involved. I'm really gonna have to read that book.

Foreign power or not, the assignment (or story) occurred on British soil.


I would rather EON Productions release a new story than remake any previous titles - MOONRAKER included. And I rather liked the 1979 movie, despite the space-age atmosphere of its last 30 minutes.

Edited by LadySylvia, 16 May 2007 - 11:57 PM.

[00Twelve]

One thing I have never understood about the novel, "MOONRAKER" . . . why was Bond given that particular assignment and not an MI-5 agent?

Doh!

Or maybe it was because a foreign power was involved. I'm really gonna have to read that book.

Foreign power or not, the assignment (or story) occurred on British soil.


I would rather EON Productions release a new story than remake any previous titles - MOONRAKER included. And I rather liked the 1979 movie, despite the space-age atmosphere of its last 30 minutes.

Um, thought I cleared this one up about a month and a half ago. Well, just in case it slipped in under the radar, so to speak, I'll repeat myself. This is why MI6 took the job instead of MI5:

MI5 had first "pick," so to speak, but since it was MI6 who did the (failed) background checks on all of Drax' Germans before they came over, MI5 told MI6 to take it. Thus, M gave it to Bond. MI5 just didn't want it. Hope that helps, LadySylvia.

I'm actually reading this right now...the hard thing to think about when considering adapting MR is what to make the enemy's ideology. Nazism was only defeated for 10 years back then; nobody takes a Nazi threat seriously today (right?). The only threat taken seriously today is (predominantly) radical Islamic terrorism (And that not enough by everyone, but that's another issue).

Men with buzzed hair and differently styled moustaches was eerie then...there'd need to be that kind of eerie idiosynchrasy for today's time. I wonder if an interesting story would include brainwashed Europeans & Americans behind the terrorism (just so it's not obvious because of ethnicities, and because this has already happened occasionally). Interesting, eerie stuff to brainstorm about.

It may not happen as soon as Bond 23, but it would be a crime to neglect this story, and to leave only the distant adaptations (GE & DAD) as the definitive ones.